US$1.6 billion on anti-China propaganda
Youtube • September 14, 2024 ~ ResponsibleStatecraft by Marcus Stanley
Instead of spending $1.6 billion on R&D to stay on top, the US government has passed a US$1.6 billion bill HR 1157 by a 351-36 majority that aims to spread anti-China propaganda internationally, earmarking $325 million a year down the drain until the year 2027 to “counter the malign influence” of China around the world.
This money for R&D would be more wisely spent to keep the nation ahead scientifically and economically, rather than for the State Department and USAID over the next five years to, among other purposes, subsidize media and civil society sources down the toilet around the world that counter Chinese “malign influence” globally.
Crucially, HR 1157 doesn’t seem to contain any requirement that US government financing to foreign media be made transparent to citizens of foreign countries (although there is a requirement to report grants to certain US congressional committees).
Thus, it’s possible that the program could in some cases be used to subsidize covert anti-Chinese messaging in a manner similar to the way Russia is accused of covertly funding anti-Ukrainian messaging by US media influencers.
Such anti-Chinese messaging could cover a wide range of bread-and-butter political issues in foreign countries. The definition of “malign influence” in the bill is extremely broad.
For example, program funds could support any effort to highlight the “negative impact” of Chinese economic and infrastructure investment in a foreign country. Or it could fund political messaging against Chinese contractors involved in building a port, road, or hospital, for example as part of Beijing’s globe-spanning Belt and Road Initiative.
That will mean that media outlets across the globe will be further incentivised to create and publish anti-China misinformation and lies aimed at slowing the country’s peaceful development. So, then, it’s more important than ever to have voices from China speaking directly to people around the world.
Just one of those voices is that of Victor Gao, who is regularly seen debating on behalf of his country to Western audiences. He’s a regular guest on the BBC’s HARDtalk, CNN, DW News, ABC, and he recently went Head to Head on Al Jazeera English with Medhi Hasan which we will also discuss.
Today, he’s here with me. This is Reports on China, I’m Andy Boreham in Shanghai.
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~~~ US$1.6 billion down the drain to counter Chinese “malign influence” globally ~~~
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~~~ US$1.6 billion down the drain to counter Chinese “malign influence” globally ~~~
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Question for Copilot: How much does the United States spend a year on propaganda against China?
Response
The United States has allocated significant funds to counter China’s influence and disinformation campaigns. For instance, the US Congress planned to allocate $500 million specifically for generating negative news coverage about China as part of the America COMPETES Act1. Additionally, the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which combats foreign propaganda and disinformation, has highlighted Beijing’s extensive efforts to reshape global narratives, spending billions annually23.
1global.chinadaily.com.cn 2aljazeera.com 3usnews.com 4bbc.com
ChinaDaily • 25 February, 2022
Aljazeera • September 29, 2023
Al Mayadeen English • September 12, 2024
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 